The Internet
is a global network, connecting many smaller individual networks.
For example, a computer in your room is connected to another computer
on campus. All the departments on campus are then connected to a
larger network in your state. The statewide network is connected
to regional, national and international networks.

The Internet
is also a set of "protocols" that allow you to communicate
with people, move files between computers, and find and share information.
The protocols you are likely to use are:

email
- for communicating with people across the Internet

http
- (hypertext transfer protocol) for making Web pages accessible

telnet
- for logging into other computers such as databases and host
computers

ftp
- (file transfer protocol) for transferring files from one computer
to another across the Internet